To achieve hot, sterile filling, it is often necessary to fill products at a high product temperature. These product temperatures can be as high as 90 and 95° C.
A problem that can arise with this type of hot filling process or with the filling devices that are used for this hot filling is that the filling devices that are used for the controlled filling of the product must already be at the elevated product temperature before the filling process is commenced. Otherwise, the content that is to be introduced to the filling devices may cool down in an undesirable manner during the filling process. To avoid this, it is known to pre-heat filling devices prior to starting the filling process.
In a similar way, in the event of any interruptions to a filling process, both the content and the filling devices must be maintained within the required temperature range so that the filling process can be restarted immediately using filling devices that are at the correct temperature.
Filling systems or filling machines for resolving these problems are already known. In these known devices, the filling devices are drawn into a heating device by conducting a partial current of the hot content through the filling device in a closed circulation that has a heating device. This heats the contents and/or maintains them at the respective required temperature.
A negative aspect of these known filling systems or filling machines is, among other things, the need for exceptionally costly, delicate, and high-priced ventilation arrangements.